Headquarters & Staff

CMUA Headquarters
915 L Street, Suite 1210
Sacramento, CA  95814

 

Phone: (916) 326-5800
Fax: (916) 326-5810
Email: contact@cmua.org


For media inquiries, contact CMUA Communications Director Matt Williams at mwilliams@cmua.org or (916) 841-4054.

DANIELLE BLACET-HYDEN
Executive Director

Danielle currently serves as Executive Director of the California Municipal Utilities Association. She has nearly 25 years of experience working with California multi-member associations including CMUA, the Association of California Water Agencies and Western Growers Association. While at CMUA, she has served as the Director of Water and Deputy Executive Director, overseeing the water advocacy program, implementation of the Strategic Plan, and administering a $4 million grant from the California Workforce Development Board. While at Western Growers she helped establish and managed a multi-state charitable foundation program providing grants, materials and other resources for water-efficient gardens in K-12 educational institutions. Danielle also has worked in political consulting and public affairs for both statewide and national clients. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from the University of California at Davis and a Certificate of Achievement in Computer Information Science from American River College.



ANDREA ABERGEL
Directo
r of Water

Andrea joined CMUA in September 2020 and currently serves as Director of Water. She represents CMUA's water member agencies on issues before various California agencies including the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards, Department of Water Resources, and California Water Commission. Andrea is a practicing attorney licensed in California. Before joining CMUA, Andrea worked for Sacramento-based law firms focused on environmental issues including land use, water quality, local and state permitting, stormwater management, and ecosystem improvement. In her role as an attorney, Andrea represented clients in navigating complex California permitting schemes, complying with water quality regulations, responding and addressing violations of California regulations, drafting real property contracts, conducting title review, and negotiating easement terms and disputes. Andrea has also represented clients on California health and safety regulations concerning the storage and handling of hazardous materials and waste, California mining statutes and regulations, and local county/city zoning regulations including local environmental review requirements, tree ordinances, and slope/grading ordinances. Andrea holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law, and a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Psychology from the University of California, Davis. 


CHRISTINE CHAPMAN

Director of Events & Membership

Christine joined CMUA in January 2016 and serves as the Director of Events and Membership. With over 35 years of experience in non-profit, trade association, and Joint Powers Agency management, she leads the planning and execution of CMUA's conferences, meetings, educational programs, and member events. Christine also directs the Associate Partner program, oversees the IT department, and supports the Board of Governors. Earlier in her career, she collaborated with healthcare and pediatric professionals to develop a nationwide specialized childcare program for new parents, partnering with hospitals, pediatric clinics, and pharmaceutical companies. Christine holds a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts management and culinary science from the Culinary Institute of America and has earned the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation through the Convention Industry Council.



DEREK DOLFIE
Director of Energy

Derek joined CMUA in January 2024 and serves as the Director of Energy. In his role, he leads CMUA's energy program, develops legislative and policy positions in coordination with members, testifies in front of committees. and meets with lawmakers and their staff, among many advocacy duties.  Dolfie has years of experience in the legislative advocacy space, primarily focused on environmental policy issues, including energy policy He served as a senior public policy manager for electric vehicle infrastructure company ChargePoint Inc., where he oversaw the creation and implementation of the company's legislative and regulatory strategy in California and the western states.  Prior to that position, Derek worked for the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) for six years, first as a legislative policy analyst and later as a legislative representative for environmental quality.  Derek holds a master's degree in public policy from the University of California, Irvine, and a bachelor's degree in political science from San Diego State University.


MEGAN MURPHY
Senior Regulatory Advocate
Megan joined CMUA is March 2025 and serves as the Senior Regulatory Advocate.  In this role, Murphy will manage CMUA's water regulatory portfolio and coordinate CMUA's Regulatory Committee, working to advance water and water/energy policy objectives and support our members' interests in regulatory proceedings. Murphy brings extensive experience from her time at Alameda County Water District in Fremont, Calif., where she served as a Water Use Efficiency Specialist.  Throughout her career, Murphy has demonstrated a commitment to collaboration, working across departments and with agency partners and statewide advocacy organizations. Her experience includes drafting policy for potential adoption, gathering intra-agency consensus on comments to City Climate Action Plans, and contributing to successful grant applications, including one that secured $2 million for advanced metering infrastructure. Murphy earned her bachelor’s degree in Conservation and Resource Studies from UC Berkeley, with a minor in Forestry, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Dance. Murphy participated in the Water Education Foundation’s Water Leaders class of 2019 and was selected to be a 2024 Water Utility Leadership Fellow with the Center for Water Security and Cooperation.


PRISCILLA QUIROZ
Energy Regulatory Manager

Priscilla joined CMUA in April 2025 and serves as the Manager of Energy Policy. In this role, Quiroz will manage the association’s energy regulatory portfolio, advance CMUA's energy and water/energy policy objectives, and support our members' interests in regulatory proceedings in front of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Energy Commission (CEC), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and other bodies. Quiroz has more than seven years of legislative and policy experience in California, most recently serving as a contract lobbyist at Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange. In that role, she led advocacy efforts for a diverse portfolio of clients — including local governments, nonprofits, associations, and labor groups — on critical issues such as zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, climate resiliency, clean energy, and solid waste policy. Quiroz previously worked in both the California State Senate and Assembly, including serving as a legislative aide to Senator Nancy Skinner, where she advised on environmental and energy policy. She also held positions in the offices of former Assembly Speakers Anthony Rendon and Toni Atkins, supporting legislative operations and constituent engagement.


TERESA REXRODE
Director of Administration

Teresa joined CMUA in February 2016 and currently serves as the Director of Administration. With over 30 years of experience in both the public and the private sector in the field of administration, she most recently served as the office manager for Health Care Investment Visions, a healthcare venture governance and funding firm. Her experience and work span the fields of healthcare, finance, and educational sectors, and charitable organizations. Teresa possesses a strong background in strategic planning, human resources, financial administration, member management, procurement, procedural systems design and other responsibilities that directly impact organizational productivity and financial health.



MATT WILLIAMS

Communications Director

Matt joined CMUA in May 2017 and currently serves as the Communications Director. In this role, he is responsible for developing a wide range of written and online communications for CMUA members and works to maintain a positive image for CMUA. He directs the association's online presence including social media efforts and the website, as well as supporting CMUA’s legislative program with advocacy communications. Most recently, Matt was managing editor of Techwire, a news website and magazine focused on the intersection of government and technology in California and the Sacramento area. Matt also has been a communications specialist for the Association of California Water Agencies. Matt holds a master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a bachelor’s degree in English and Environmental Studies from California State University, Sacramento. He started his career as a newspaper reporter and researcher for Sports Illustrated.





Page last updated 4/21/2025